Happy Green Fourth of July

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Happy Fourth of July.  Hopefully, this holiday will be a fun day spent with friends and family, relaxing and celebrating our wonderful country.  Also, hopefully this day will be a green day.  I have several tips to make the 4th a wonderful green day.

First of all, let’s talk about fireworks.  They are not green.  All polytechnic applications are significant polluters of the environment.  I know it is hard to imagine celebrating the 4th without fireworks.  So let’s compromise here and leave this part of the celebration to the experts.  Plan to go to a community event rather than staging a backyard event.  This way it will be done with more control, alleviating the risk of accidents that occur every year, and plus you get to celebrate in grand style.

Also, for picnics and barbecues, it is important to use biodegradable or reusable plates and plastics.  The picnic will still be fun and you will be doing your part to reduce the piles at the landfills.  Pay attention to the food served at your picnic or barbecue.  Hot dogs and hamburgers are staples at cookouts and barbecues, but be mindful of the environmental impact of the production of such products.  Make sure you incorporate healthy and possibly organic fruits and salads into your menu.  You will be doing a favor to yourself, your family and friends and the environment.

Think green when you crank up the grill.  Propane is three times as efficient as charcoal.  If you opt for charcoal, make sure it is wood briquettes.  They are more sustainable.  Also, do not overcook or char  food on the grill.  This is toxic to the body and the environment.  

Try to incorporate some exercise into the day.  The Fourth of July is a great time to organize a friendly game of baseball, volleyball, dodgeball, etc.  Exercise is great for the health of friends and family.  

As you can see, the Fourth of July is a wonderful day to celebrate our nation and green.  Let’s live green, be green!

Green Home Green Summer

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Establishing a green home does not happen overnight but requires planning, commitment and practice.  Summertime is a great time to start this endeavor.  School is out, and the household is functioning at a slower pace than normal.  This also is a teachable moment for both the adults and children in the family.  The family can start with an outing to the local landfill.  Just seeing the huge mounds of discarded plastics, electronics and other trash is an eye-opening experience.  It effectively and dramaticallyquantifies the overall effect of one household’s trash at the curb combined with the whole area’s trash at a single location.  Just think– this is only one of the landfills in this county alone!

Each family’s efforts towards living green represents a positive step in the right direction.  It is best to start with a master plan.  It can be as simple as first committing to reuse.  Using washable cleaning towels as opposed to paper towels goes a long way as does the incorporation of reusable items such as mugs, plates, cups and water bottles.  Consider the purchase of products such as liquid soap in bulk and refillable decorative bottles.  Donating clothing, toys, household items and electronics to charities serves the dual process of helping others who are less fortunate, as well as keeping these items out of the landfill.  These practices alone will substantially reduce the number of articles going in the trash and on to the landfill.

Summer vacation also is an excellent time to examine your energy and water usage and to make cost-cutting changes.  This is a great time to take a trip to the hardware store to learn about and to invest in energy-efficient lighting and appliances.  If a new appliance is on the shopping list, make sure it it an energy star product.  These products are very energy efficient and will save money in the long run.  This also is a good time to invest in energy-efficient light bulbs for your home.  Thirdly, take a look at water filters.  An investment in a tap filter negates the need to purchase bottled water, thereby lowering grocery costs and most importantly, reducing the number of plastic bottles taken to the landfill.

Going green in the summer presents several opportunities for families to learn healthier and environmentally friendly ways of living, establish green plans, save money and improve the environment.  So this summer try to live green be green.

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